A Weekend Getaway to The Ranch at Laguna Beach

Besides being located in one of the most beautiful parts of the state (dare I say country?), The Ranch at Laguna Beach is an upscale property that offers many unique and memorable activities for everyone in the family. We recently had the opportunity to stay for a weekend and we let our son decide what we should do while we were there.

During the summer and early fall, The Ranch at Laguna Beach offers an incredible kids program. As a Junior Ranger, kids are encouraged to learn, create, and explore. Each day of the week has its own theme, ranging from Bees & Bugs on Monday to Ocean Ecosystems on Saturday.

Every day follows a similar pattern – children start off learning about the topic through interactive and hands-on opportunities and then create a related project, like making plasters of animal tracks from the Creatures of the Canyon theme, and also have a chance to explore the land and search for real animal tracks.

During our stay, Whistler experienced the Birds of Prey program. To be honest, I went along for the presentation, because, come on, this was pretty darn cool and I certainly didn’t want to miss it!

The Junior Rangers program is essentially a fun, educational mini summer camp that’s available on your family vacation. I’d be hard pressed to think of other destinations where kids can explore animal tracks in the canyon on one day and the ocean ecosystem the next, while being able to experience both first hand.

As a family destination, The Ranch at Laguna Beach makes it easy for families to put away the electronics and enjoy the moment with specially planned daily activities for the whole family.

On Sunday afternoons, families can learn the art of building a sand castle from the resident sand castle artist while on Monday evenings they can watch a family movie before finding themselves sitting around a campfire telling stories on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Friday is astronomy night for learning and viewing the stars above, while Saturday is reserved for kid’s only with Kid’s Night Out. Ok, this happens to coincide just perfectly with “parents night out” too – haha!

As each theme is unique, these engaging programs at The Ranch at Laguna Beach give families a chance to step away from the internet and connect with each other.

And for the golf-loving parents, The Ranch at Laguna Beach is THE destination. Ben Brown’s Golf Course is a 9 hole par 32 that takes you into the heart of quiet nature.

And if you’re a bit rusty on the irons, the resort offers many golf packages geared specifically towards new golfers. The lessons and shorter tees offer the perfect opportunity for new golfers to bond with other family members and maybe fall in love with the sport themselves.

For many families, vacation may be the only time everyone is together and present. It’s important to choose a place that appeals to the interest of all parties, which makes a place like The Ranch at Laguna Beach a perfect choice as you can visit the ocean as easily as take a hike in the forest. And though the kids may complain now, it’s the activities bringing the whole family together that they’ll be talking about in 20 years.

So what would your family weekend getaway look like if you let your kids plan it? Maybe a little something like ours at the Ranch at Laguna Beach?

Remember, souvenirs and postcards are great, but it’s the memories that last a lifetime. After all, they’re only little for a little while.

*We were graciously hosted by The Ranch at Laguna Beach. I am a Kia Mom and family road trips are one of our favorite ways to use our Kia Sorento.

Rarely caught without a camera, Jeana is an adventurous traveler with a passion for people, cultures and food that has led her to 43 countries in 6 years. When she's not using her powers for social good, she enjoys photography, cooking and building LEGOs with her son. On occasion, you may also find her crocheting cute things to hide in her husband's underwear drawer.

Join Us on Facebook

Instagram @JeanaTravels

1488 25

1477 21

1415 27

1463 23

Instagram @SurfandSunshineBlog

595 1

637 1

859 7

805 7

Trending Pins

About the Founder

Rarely caught without a camera, Jeana is an adventurous traveler with a passion for people, cultures and food that has led her to 43 countries and counting. When she's not using her powers for social good, she enjoys photography, cooking and building LEGOs with her son. On occasion, you may also find her crocheting cute things to hide in her husband's underwear drawer.